Italian Jannik Sinner defeated Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime 6-4, 7-6(4) in the Masters final Paris Masters 1000, his first title of this category this season, and snatched the world number 1 ranking from Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz. With his twenty-sixth consecutive indoor victory, the Italian, who has steadily improved throughout the tournament, lifted his fifth title of the year, the 23rd of his career, and his fifth Masters 1000 title, his first since Shanghai last year. After his victory last Sunday in Vienna, the Italian continues his successful year. Since Wimbledon, he has only lost three matches, two of them by retirement, and in a year in which he spent several months sidelined serving a doping ban, he has won two Grand Slams, a Masters 1000, and two other titles. Following Alcaraz's elimination in his opening match, the 24-year-old Sinner had no rival in a tournament where, until this year, he had only won one match in three appearances. He claimed the title without dropping a set, something that hadn't happened in a Masters 1000 since the Spaniard won Indian Wells in 2013. With five Masters 1000 titles to his name, the winner of the last Australian Open and Wimbledon Grand Slams becomes the sixth active player to reach that number, joining Novak Djokovic (40), Alcaraz (8), Alexander Zverev (7), and Daniil Hoffenckoff (7). Medvedev (6).

As in his semifinal match against Alexander Zverev, the defending champion, Sinner started the final decisively against Auger-Aliassime, who at 25 years old was playing in his second Masters 1000 final, after last year's Madrid final, in search of his first title.

A 2-0 start gave him an advantage that he maintained with an iron fist, conceding just three points on his serve, and thus had the first set in 45 minutes.

The reaction of the Canadian, the second player with the most wins this season on hard courts, 39,Only surpassed by Australian Alex de Minaur, he was lukewarm in the second set.

Auger-Aliassime, who with a victory would have guaranteed his place in the Turin Masters, withstood the Italian's onslaught, but continued to look powerless against his serve.

The Canadian's improvement, having had a great end to the year with at least a quarterfinal appearance in his last six tournaments, became evident, and he challenged the Italian, taking him to a tiebreak, the first Sinner had to play all week.

But the Italian maintained his solidity to prevail in that tiebreak and thus win the trophy.

Sinner returns to the top of the tennis rankings, which he relinquished to Alcaraz last August, after his defeat in the US Open final against the Spaniard.

A reconquest that may be short-lived, since in the Turin Masters Trophy Sinner is defending his title and 1,500 points, while Alcaraz needs only three wins to regain the number 1 ranking and finish the season with it, something he already achieved in 2022. This is the second time Sinner has reached the world number 1 ranking, which he first achieved in June 2024, after reaching the Roland Garros semifinals. He then held the position for 53 weeks until Alcaraz snatched it from him in the New York final. *With information from EFE.